Slashdot Mirror
Finding American Companies for Overseas Work?
markjrubin asks: "After reading this article I became interested in looking for Web work in Europe. I have been put in contact with numerous European companies, but am running into troubles getting companies to sponsor work permits. While my skillset is strong enough to get most of the jobs, the firms that I have talked with are all hesitant to sponsor a work permit. I've been told that the quickest solution is to find an American company to send me to Europe on contract work, but I'm not sure where to start looking, as the majority of the job boards do not offer this search feature. What does the Slashdot community think? Is the right solution to look for an American company? I'd love to hear comments from other Slashdot members."
Not Europe, I know, but nice none the less.
:)
Loads of work here, easy work permits, and employment agencies that actually seem to do their jobs. Best way is to just punt over and talk to a few people, though you can search with your skillset here.
Give me a mail if you actually want to do it and I'll get you set up.
Dave
I write a blog now, you should be afraid.
So, apply for a job at consultant type of company and emphasise you don't mind to travel 100% of time. Such companies as computer associates, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and other are constantly looking for this kind of employees.
You might not end up with constant employment at once place in europe, but you might work 6-24 months per project in single place and then move to further project at some other place in Europe or at other place in the world.
If programs would be read like poetry, most programmers would be Vogons.
No matter how good your skills are, European companies are not likely to sponsor a work permit. The best route is to find an american company that will send you over there.
Here's some information about working in Europe. Hope you'll have some luck finding work over there.
If any of your parents or grandparents were born in Ireland, you are considered an Irish citizen, and can register for a passport at and Irish consulate or embassy.
b as sies.html
Irish citizenship allows you to live and work in any EU member nation without any restriction. The United States does not recognize this as valid and you cannot travel into or out of the United States on the passport. It does not affect your American citizenship, unless you are a military officer or hold a policy-level federal position.
Note however that you ARE fully subject to any and all European taxes (which are HIGH). Depending on circumstances, you may also be liable for US taxes. Consult a lawyer or CPA who specializes in these matters. It may be very also be difficult to move quanities of cash to and from countries.
This page should refer you to the embassay or consulate you need.
http://www.goireland.com/low/visitorsguide/irem
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
No no no no no. You don't understand. The American going to Europe to work cause he can't find Web work in his home country isn't an opportunistic economic migrant leech, he's an adventurer spreading prosperity and capitalism. The European in the same situation who would like to work in the US is an invader, threatening job security and mom and apple pie, and should be given lip service and treated like crap.
--- Jump!! Fire!! Bullet time!! - Lego version of the Matrix
I can sympathise with you about the hassle of finding a sponsor, been there, done that. Usually, it's because of ignorance about the visa system, or greed. So let's spell the rules out for the UK:
If you have an IT degree, or any degree with 1 years IT experience, and the job appears on the shortage occupation list (i.e. almost anything in IT), then the work permit is automatic, and takes about 2 weeks to be issued. The employer can fill out the application themselves, and it doesn't cost them anything. Check out www.workpermits.gov.uk for full details.
I've found that most UK IT recruitment consultants are ignorant of the rules and take some convincing. I even had one consultant who didn't believe me, and so she checked with the immigration consultant firm they usually used. The immigration consultant, the greedy bastard, told her I was lying, and that it was so hard to do that they needed to be involved and it would cost about a thousand pounds. Needless to say, I was no longer considered for the job.
The key, obviously, is to find a good recruitment consultant, one that knows about the rules, and is used to convincing employers to sponsor people. After too many bastards, I may have found a good one in www.abbeywood.com, time will tell, but certainly they're open to sponsoring visas. In general avoid the really small outfits, they're just cowboys out to rip people off. Some of the big internatioanl recruiters should also be used to dealing with visas.
If you are approaching companies directly, try the big international firms, they're used to dealing with permits. Otherwise, be prepared to tell them about how easy it is. I do this by emailing them a completed application form, just to show how easy it is, and give them the phone number of the work permit people to ring and ask verify.
Of course, as some people have already mentioned, if you have English or Irish grandparents, or your spouse has, then you're in like Flynn. The UK will give you a 4 year residency permit, allowing you to work there, and after 4 years, you can claim permenant residency.
The number one IT job search site in the UK is www.jobserve.com, if it's not there, it's not available.
Good luck!